Sin-license cars: what they are, how much they cost and where we can drive them

The driving licence can sometimes become a recurring problem, which is not always easy to solve. However, there are always other alternatives for getting around without a licence, such as public transport in all its forms, although on certain occasions we need a bit more precision and availability in our day-to-day life. The solution to this inconvenience can be found in light quadricycles, commonly known as “sin-license cars”.

In today’s article we will take an in-depth look at this type of vehicle, which can be very useful day to day and will allow us to do without a driving licence on many occasions. However, we must pay attention to a series of characteristics and requirements that we need to meet if we want to get behind the wheel of one of these small but useful cars.

What is a “sin-license car” or light quadricycle?

The first thing we must be clear about, dear driver, are the elements that place a vehicle in this category. A light quadricycle is any four-wheeled vehicle with an unladen weight of less than 350 kilograms on the scales. At the same time, its maximum speed must not exceed 45 km/h and its engine capacity must be 50 cc or less.

These vehicles have a series of exemplary specifications for tackling urban environments or even more rural settings, where journeys are short and there is not a large volume of traffic. Undoubtedly, anyone who resorts to light quadricycles can enjoy an excellent car for its purpose, but, even so, a number of documents will be needed to use them in full.

What tests are required to get behind the wheel of a “sin-license car”?

It is true that the colloquial name it has acquired over time implies that we do not need a driving licence to drive a light quadricycle, but we must still pass a series of tests and meet certain requirements in order to use these vehicles. Unlike a standard vehicle, we will not have to be of legal age to access them, since the minimum age to drive a “sin-license car” is 15 years.

The minimum age to drive a light quadricycle is 15 yearsAnyone who does not hold a class B licence -the one that allows us to drive vehicles with higher performance- and wishes to drive a light quadricycle must sit a psychotechnical exam, to demonstrate that they are fully fit to drive a car whatever its technical characteristics. Once that test has been passed, a multiple-choice exam of 20 questions must be taken, which will be set by the Traffic Authority.

The multiple-choice exam consists of 20 questions, and different practical tests must be passedAs with the B licence, a driving test will be required, which is divided into two types depending on our intentions once the relevant licence has been obtained: an unrestricted licence or a restricted licence. What does this mean? If we opt for the first, we will be authorised to use any two-, three- or four-wheeled moped and, to do so, we will have to face a test consisting of two parts: a slalom between cones at reduced speed and driving along a strip of limited width.

If our aim is only to drive light quadricycles or tricycles and not two-wheeled mopeds, we will have to opt for the restricted licence. This option also consists of two tests, which involve reversing direction using forward and reverse gears in a limited space, and parking/pulling out of a space that may be on the flat, on an uphill or downhill gradient.

Once all the mandatory tests have been passed, our driving licence will be issued to us, which must accompany us at all times, as it will prove that we are fit to get behind the wheel of a “sin-license car”.

The licence and something more: permits needed to drive our light quadricycle

As with any type of vehicle, the driving licence only allows us to drive a quadricycle, but to be able to drive one of our own, we need a series of documents that will make the use of our “sin-license car” on public roads legal. One of these essential items is the registration plate, which carries a series of digits to identify our quadricycle, and which must be registered by the Provincial Traffic Authority of the province in which the owner resides.

Once the “sin-license car” has its corresponding registration plate, we will obtain our vehicle registration document, which will show all the data related to our vehicle as well as information about its owner. At the same time, the Technical Inspection Card must accompany us at all times when we drive our quadricycle, as it will prove that our “sin-license car” has the technical specifications necessary to be driven.

The MOT (ITV) is another test our new light quadricycle must undergo, as it must pass it just like any other vehicle and it must have a valid certificate in order to use it fully legally. During the first four years of the vehicle’s life it will not need to undergo any technical test, but once that period has passed, the inspection must be carried out every two years.

We now have everything necessary to use our quadricycle, but where can it be driven?

It is true that the tests to pass and documents needed to drive a “sin-license car” are practically the same as those required for a normal vehicle, but, due to its technical specifications, we cannot use a light quadricycle on all types of road. Its most common -and logical- use will be in urban environments, where its small dimensions and light weight are two ideal characteristics for coping with the city.

Sin-license cars may not be driven on motorways or dual carriagewaysIf our idea is to tackle motorways or dual carriageways, this is not our vehicle, since “sin-license cars” are strictly forbidden from using these types of road. As indicated by Article 36 of the General Traffic Regulations, light quadricycles must travel on a passable and sufficient hard shoulder. If one is not available, “sin-license cars” must occupy the essential right-hand part of the carriageway.

In this way, the use of our quadricycle is limited in certain circumstances, and being a means of transport ideal for urban environments, as we have already pointed out, or for a rural setting where distances are short and there is a high volume of traffic with more demanding technical specifications than those of a “sin-license car”.

We already know how and where we can drive, but are there differences in quadricycle insurance?

As with other vehicles that use the carriageway,

it will be necessary to take out insurance in order to properly use the light quadricycle. Specifically, we will have to obtain compulsory civil liability insurance, commonly known as “compulsory insurance” (S.O.A). However, this type of insurance will cover us in certain situations.

On the one hand, it will support us when covering damage to persons and to goods in circulation harmed in the event of an accident. At the same time, the insured party will have to bear the damage caused except in the following cases: conduct or negligence on the part of the injured party, force majeure unrelated to driving -defects in the vehicle or breakage or failure of some of its parts or mechanisms are not considered force majeure- and the operation of the vehicle.

What “sin-license car” or engine-less quadricycle should I buy? How much can a vehicle of this kind cost?

Like any other segment, the available light quadricycle options

are numerous, and a number of doubts may arise when choosing the ideal candidate. In Spain there are several brands that stand out above others and, at the same time, offer features that improve the quality of finishes and mechanical components.

On the one hand, we find Aixam, a French firm that has enjoyed great success in Spain for years. The Minauto Access is presented as the most affordable option within the brand, with a starting price of 8,990 euros. This model features a diesel engine of 8.15 CV and 21 Nm of torque, but if you want a more efficient “sin-license car” you can always opt for the electric options, such as the eCity, also from Aixam, which costs 14,790 euros.

Another brand that should be among our options is Ligier, which also originates in France and offers models of similar characteristics and quality. The JS C 50 Club is presented as the most affordable option with an initial price of 11,690 euros. At the same time, the used market can also give us the opportunity to acquire a quadricycle at a lower price that fulfils exactly the same purpose.